SoftBank Group is reported to be pursuing a plan to invest $50 billion in Malaysia, or about 66 trillion won.

CNBC reported on Oct. 26 that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said SoftBank's investment plan would focus on artificial intelligence, new technology and data centres.

Anwar said on Oct. 25 that SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son (손정의) reviewed Kuching in Sarawak state and areas on the Malay Peninsula as potential investment locations in Malaysia. The comments came after the two held a video meeting during the week. Anwar put the size of the investment SoftBank is pursuing in Malaysia at $50 billion.

The investment aligns with Malaysia's plan to become an "AI nation" by 2030. The Malaysian government earlier this year released a national AI action plan to strengthen its AI capabilities and related infrastructure. If SoftBank's large-scale funding is actually deployed, it is expected to bolster Malaysia's expansion of data centres and AI computing infrastructure.

SoftBank also moved into an AI and digital infrastructure project targeting Malaysia's Sarawak region earlier this month. SoftBank signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based ride-hailing and platform company Grab and Malaysia's Petroleum Sarawak to review the development of AI and digital infrastructure in Sarawak. The review includes AI computing services and advanced technology.

Competition among big tech companies to invest in Malaysia has already intensified. Google in 2024 announced a $2 billion investment plan to build its first data centre and cloud region in the country. Amazon Web Services said it plans to invest $6.2 billion by 2038. Microsoft also said it would invest $2.2 billion in digital business including cloud and AI infrastructure.

As global tech companies pour money into the country, Malaysia's data centre investment has also grown rapidly. The Malaysian Investment Development Authority said data centre-related investment totalled 385.7 billion ringgit, or about $94 billion, from 2021 through the first half of 2026. After the government rolled out a national AI strategy and major technology companies in succession reviewed or confirmed infrastructure investments, Malaysia is increasing its presence in the race to become a Southeast Asian AI hub.

SoftBank did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the investment plan. The timing of any investment, how it would be carried out and the scale of projects by region have not yet been disclosed. That leaves whether the investment is finalised, specific site selection including Sarawak, and the scope of AI computing services and data centre construction as key points to watch.